TV prices are set to increase once again thanks to a new type of screen, but by making them with inkjet printers, one US company has a way to keep costs down.
Several decades ago, a television set was one of the most expensive appliances that you could buy for your home. Black and white screens were more affordable but to watch broadcasts in colour? You had to be prepared to shell out the big bucks. While falling in price somewhat over the years, and no longer seeing so many people make a choice between eating meals with nothing to watch and going hungry but being able to watch TV, buying a new TV still remains pricey. This is only set to become more of an issue as TVs with OLED screens are set to take centre stage. But, thanks to one US company, there is now a way to lessen the strain on everyone’s wallets.
The manufacturing process of OLED TVs is a tricky, expensive and extremely complicated and the production line requires precise work with little to no mistakes, or it could result in an entire 50 inch screen being scrapped due to poor workmanship. This is because OLED TVs require vacuum evaporation and something called ‘shadow masking’ in order to be made, meaning that it takes longer to make OLED TVs than it does for almost every other display technology. Kateeza, a US company say that they have the solution: inkjet printers.
Rather than printing out documents on paper with ink, instead, their YieldJet OLED panel printing system would place OLED pixels on plastic or glass to make the screens. Making the screens in a pure nitrogen chamber, Kateeza say that this way is more efficient and less wasteful, it also results in “film coating uniformity”. If this way of making OLED screens takes off, devices such as the Sony PlayStation Vita, a handheld that uses an OLED screen, as well as OLED TVs (which are set to take off in 2016) will be able to have lower prices, meaning that we’ll be able to get our hands on a premium display without having to pay a premium for it.
We’ll keep you posted once we know more.
Source: Pocket-lint
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